Yesterday, we hosted Swedish premiere of the documentary Eddy’s War. Directed by Joost van der Valk, the film follows award-winning war photographer Eddy van Wessel on the frontlines in Ukraine, capturing the effects of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The screening was followed by a panel discussion, featuring war photographer Eddy van Wessel, Bengt Norborg (SVT correspondent), Henrik Sjöberg (VP Svenska PEN), Katarina Carlstein Carlsson (Director of RSF Sweden), and moderated by Kersti Forsberg (journalist and former director of the Fojo Media Institute).

The event began with opening remarks by Ambassador Joost Reintjes and Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Plakhotniuk, who set the tone for this pressing topic. We are grateful for their presence and support.

Key takeaways from the event:

• The documentary was very powerful. It presented reality without sensationalism and offered a credible portrayal of the frontlines, connecting with diverse audiences.
• Maintaining objectivity in conflict zones is very challenging, especially when reporting is only possible from one side.
• Supporting and training Ukrainian journalists is vital. They often act as reporters and local producers and deserve proper recognition.
• Photography, when combined with context and data, is a strong tool to hold perpetrators accountable and to document history.

This panel was made possible through collaboration with Reportrar utan gränser (SE), Svenska PEN / PEN Sweden, and SVT.